You can call it humbuggery, but I had a pretty low-voltage reaction to ZooLights the first time I went to see it, probably 10 years ago. I remember at the Lincoln Park Zoo's holiday season tribute to luminescence some lights in trees and some animal shapes more distinct than constellations but not as distinct as, say, the actual animals that were nearby. This is what all the advertising is about? This is what people seem to be turning into a holiday...

When he was young, John Rivera used to think Santa Claus took up permanent residence in downtown Chicago, not at the North Pole. “That's what it felt like,” says Rivera, 47. “I'd see Santa on TV and at Marshall Field's, that was about it. What else would I think? Everything about Christmas took place downtown. The windows, the trees, the lights. I didn't even know what or where the North Pole was.” While elements of Rivera's holiday experiences are unique to his...

"I`ve fallen and I can`t get up." These words from a now-famous commercial may have become the punchline of the year, but for Community Nursing Service of Du Page, the product behind the words was reason enough for a holiday benefit last weekend. The Lifeline personal response communicator offers the elderly or disabled an automatic link to help with the touch of a button. But with a price tag of $700, the units are often too expensive for those who need them most. Step in...

You can call it humbuggery, but I had a pretty low-voltage reaction to ZooLights the first time I went to see it, probably 10 years ago. I remember at the Lincoln Park Zoo's holiday season tribute to luminescence some lights in trees and some animal shapes more distinct than constellations but not as distinct as, say, the actual animals that were nearby. This is what all the advertising is about? This is what people seem to be turning into a holiday...

I can`t believe I had anything to do with selecting this huge Christmas tree swallowing a good portion of my living room, but it's true; in fact, I was the instigator. As I sit here in the early morning hours staring at the still-naked tree, sipping my second cup of tea, I wonder what's happened to me. Where am I in my life that I have stooped to this-an artificial, man-made piece of seasonal greenery that replaces years of sap-running, fragrant tradition? But-what's the point?

The lions outside the Art Institute wouldn't stand for being dressed up for any other holiday, you know. No bunny ears for Easter, no goblin mask for Halloween. (We'll give you the occasional Bears helmet.) But on Friday those dignified bronze guardians get their annual evergreen wreaths for the month of December, and the Christmas trees just went up at the Museum of Science and Industry. Read on for more seasonal events, and check with the individual institutions for extended holiday hours.

"Holiday Magic," a winter festival sponsored by Brookfield Zoo, will be held from 5 to 8:30 p.m. Dec. 14 to 22 at the zoo, 1st Avenue and 31st Street in Brookfield. The festival will feature carolers, magicians and displays of Christmas lights, animal ice sculptures and more than 50 decorated Christmas trees. Local broadcast and sports celebrities will read holiday stories to children.

Our cravings for the tried-and-true guide our choices of holiday concerts as surely as they draw us toward familiar food and faces. Music of the Baroque's Holiday Brass and Choral Concerts have become such a valued area tradition for nearly 40 years, that they can mine the vast troves of lesser known Christmas-themed music without even a slight dip in quality or attendance. Jane Glover has been music director since 2002, but the opening affair Thursday at Grace Lutheran Church in River...

Experience BROOKFIELD ZOO in a whole new light during the 17th annual "HOLIDAY MAGIC" celebration, which begins this weekend. Stroll along paths brilliantly lit with more than a half million twinkling lights. See the animals in their outdoor habitats and join the "chorus" on Saturdays and Sundays for one of the many scheduled "Sing to the Animals" events. This traditional event features carolers, celebrity storytellers and ice carving demonstrations. Museum admission $6 adults; $3 children age 3...

The holiday season doesn't always start with a snowflake or a song, but with a flip of a switch. If the sparkle of a bunch of bitty bulbs can warm up an otherwise bitter cold Chicago evening for you, there are many places where you can let the light in. For the 28th year, Brookfield Zoo hosts Holiday Magic. See nearly a million twinkling colored lights and a laser light show, as well as professional ice-carving demonstrations, celebrity storytellers, live music and dance performances, magicians and more.

By A digest of coming events, compiled by Carlos Morales | November 24, 1996

Brookfield Zoo is always a great experience, but it's a different and wondrous place at night during the holiday season. The zoo kicks off its 15th annual Holiday Magic season next weekend, beginning with a parade Friday and an appearance by Santa, who will flip a switch to light up 40 trees around Roosevelt Fountain. There will be holiday stories read by local radio and TV personalities, restaurants will be open and youngsters are invited to bring tree ornaments to the Children's Zoo. ...

Though there's never a shortage of karaoke in Chicagoland, 'tis the season for singers of all talent levels to show off their yuletide spirit. When it comes to holiday singalongs, there's literally something for everyone, including classically minded carolers, movie buffs, and even a chance for the tone deaf to spread tidings of (dis)comfort and joy. Here are some ways to get your vocal groove on before Santa slides down the chimney: Family friendly Holiday Magic: Though Holiday Magic at Brookfield...

Holiday magic: The real beauty of this season isn't shopping or decorations; it's people like Gwen Gregory-Conzelman and her family. For 13 years they have brought fun and laughter to residents of A Safe Place, a Waukegan shelter for battered women and their children. The party started as a tribute to her first husband, the late Roy Gregory, who was involved in fundraising for A Safe Place. "I held it at home for the first few years, and as it grew, it moved first to...

On The Town's weekly roundup of 5 activities spanning the leisure spectrum. 1. THE NUTCRACKER With so many adaptations of this holiday classic, (even Kiefer Sutherland lends his voice to an animated full-length feature, 1990's "The Nutcracker Prince") sometimes you've got to go back to the source. Local company Salt Creek Ballet brings the E.T.A. Hoffman story of Clara and her fantasy world populated by mice and sugar plum fairies, backed by Tchaikovsky's legendary...

Various area concert organizations are giving Chicagoans an assortment of brightly wrapped holiday gifts beginning this weekend. The a cappella ensemble His Majestie's Clerkes will salute the season with a festive program comprising several centuries of music, from Renaissance motets to arrangements of traditional carols. Concerts under Anne Heider's direction will be given at 8 p.m. Saturday at St. Procopius Abbey Church, 5601 College Rd., Lisle; at 8 p.m. Dec. 15 at St. Luke's...

Dear Readers: Some months back, I ran a letter from "Anxious Fairy Odd Mother" about discussing the existence of the Tooth Fairy with her young daughter. I responded that childhood holds too little magic these days; I'm a big believer in letting children build, maintain and enjoy these culturally based beliefs. Responding to that letter, "Pragmatic Mom" said that she maintains a "no magic" policy in her household. She explained that anything else was lying. Many readers...

Out of the mouth of a River Grove babe came a holiday clue. It was half past 7 p.m. The wind was whipping. The video cameras were whirring. The crowd was close-packed. Three-year-old Bradley Winterberger had weathered the thick line of eager children that snaked across three aisles and a corner. He had held tight his mother's hand, kept his coat buttoned and his hat on to keep her happy. Finally, it was his turn to hop atop the bearded man's lap. While at least a...

I BELIEVE. DO YOU? Of course you do -- believe that if, on one special night in December, you hang a stocking by your fireplace or from a windowsill or maybe a stair railing as we do in our hearthless home, that when you awaken in the morn your fanciful footgear will be filled with some kind of wonderful. Some little token chosen with you alone in mind. Of the stockings we hang in our house, none looks like another. Each was chosen for its owner. Some with more care and determination (should that...

Though there's never a shortage of karaoke in Chicagoland, 'tis the season for singers of all talent levels to show off their yuletide spirit. When it comes to holiday singalongs, there's literally something for everyone, including classically minded carolers, movie buffs, and even a chance for the tone deaf to spread tidings of (dis)comfort and joy. Here are some ways to get your vocal groove on before Santa slides down the chimney: Family friendly Holiday Magic: Though Holiday Magic at Brookfield...

Everyone knows the holidays should be celebrated with someone you love who loves you nestled at your side. The two of you are settled in front of a cozy fire, drinking something warm and soothing, listening to Nat King Cole sing, "Chestnuts roasting on an open fire. ..." The moment is perfect, and then he/she takes out a beautifully wrapped gift and hands it to you. He/she watches, barely breathing, as you untie the shiny ribbon and unwrap the glittering paper. His/her eyes light up as...